Whiplash PR & Management will hit their 22nd year milestone this month. One of the original ‘indie publicists’, they have worked with over 3,000 bands, record labels, songwriters serving the indie music community from USA to South Africa, Europe, South Korea, Australia, Canada.

Our newest campaign is called the ”THE DOWN & DIRTY” and it is affordable, cost effective, extremely targeted press campaign that we have been trying out since last year to rave results and reviews.

“The WPM team are by far the best pr agency I have ever worked with. They raised the bar for what I expect from a campaign. For independent artists, it can be really difficult to get traction in today’s media landscape. They are passionate and focused, and they get results.” -CHRIS MULVEY -PALE MONSTERS

The Whiplash team are a force to be reckoned with in the best way possible! , they are thorough, precise, and will never waste your time. She’s a badass” – DOC FELL & CO.

“The Whiplash team are simply the best; they produce real and immediate results; hard to find a more experienced and tenacious PR company and impossible to find one this impressive for the special ‘down and dirty’ package. Amazing!” – Tommy Boy Recording artist “Almost Awake”

As an independent artist, you thrive at doing it all yourself; you write your own music, created your own blog or website and love working on all aspects of your ‘business’. However, it can sometimes be more than beneficial to work with experts in their field. When it comes to Public Relations, working with a professional can certainly serve you well. Why? Because while you may think that public relations is merely serving a marketing purpose, something you try to do on your own, it is so much more than that. Read below to find out more about what PR really is and how you can use it to your advantage by hiring an expert.

An Overview of Public Relations

By definition, PR is used to enhance the reputation of a company or individual and better make the connection between the company or individual and the public. For example in the music industry, PR experts are often asked to organize events, such as a CD release party, showcases or any other event that could lead to more visibility for an artist or band. So, in short, PR does look like a marketing machine at first. But have you ever heard of a PR professional’s Rolodex? The Rolodex is a prized possession (or at least it used to be before everything switched to digital!) for any PR professional and includes the contact info for all their connections in various industries. This means that while PR seems to be only a boost in marketing, your PR firm or expert can get in touch with reputable individuals or companies that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to approach on your own.

1. The Definition of Publicity – First, we are going to start out with the very basics–some definitions of what publicity is exactly. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Publicity – “An act or device designed to attract public interest; specifically: information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support. Also: The dissemination of information or promotional material.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Publicity is EXACTLY these things.

A music publicist is hired as a member of your team to represent you to the media. Media is defined traditionally as editors and writers at newspapers, magazines, dailies, weeklies, monthlies, college newspapers, and television. Some publicists may also cover radio for interviews on tour stops, but if you want to get on the radio charts (like CMJ), you will need a radio promoter. Some publicists also cover Internet PR, like my company, but not all traditional publicists do! A publicist’s job is to liaise with the press. They are not hired to get you a booking agent or gig, a label deal, a distribution deal, or any other type of marketing deal. That is what a manager is for. They will not get you played on radio, either. This is what a radio promoter is for. A well-connected publicist, however, may be able to hook you up with all of the abovementioned things, but it is not in her job description.